Tea & Chips
by InkFable
Summary: The Doctor and Rose return to London for a date, stopping by one of their favorite cafés. While there, they contemplate their feelings for each other. This is a short, "domestic" story I hope you enjoy. Hints of Doctor/Rose


"Good day for a stroll, isn't it, Rose?" the Doctor had asked her earlier that morning, his tone whimsical. He had insisted that they go out for chips. "You must think that it's great to be home. Your mum's always been a real treat to be around."

The Doctor sounded distracted. He craned his neck to see past the uproar of traffic gathering on the street beside them.

"Mum prob'ly heard us coming," Rose replied, referring to the whirring of the TARDIS. "No doubt she'll be out searching for us soon."

The Doctor nodded and mumbled in agreement, hardly paying attention. His voice was closer to the Earth when he continued and he looked at Rose as he spoke, "Right...I wanted to have a talk with you."

A small café was just visible in the distance. As they approached, he found that its windows were bright and cheery, the entire building rather welcoming. It was the ideal place to sop for tea and chips. At least, the Doctor thought so. He opened the door for his companion.

"Go on," he said. "The lady's always first. You know how I feel about chivalry."

Rose followed happily behind the Doctor, flashing a smile as he opened the door. With a chuckle, she gave a tiny curtsy to tease him and walked in. "Thank you!"

The Doctor shook his head when she curtsied, playfully rebuking Rose before stepping in after her.

The small café was pleasantly lit and a friendly ambiance seemed to flow from the very room itself. Rose took a deep breath. The warm smell of tea along with the salty tang of frying fish and potatoes flooded her senses. Finding a good table, she slid out a chair and sat down. She loved being with the Doctor; traveling from galaxy to galaxy, jumping through time and space. Even the little, more simple things like going out for chips seemed a bit more exciting when he was around. Rose never wanted it to end. She wanted to stay with him forever, traveling in that big, beautiful blue box of his.

The Doctor looked around, subconsciously accessing the technical aspects that most people wouldn't bother with as he strolled in, hands buried deep within the pockets of his long overcoat. His peripheral senses found that there was an unusually high salt content in the chips as opposed to most other restaurants. Sniffing curiously, he suspected that they used nearly two times as much salt as needed and, with another whiff, concluded that oil they used had been sitting out for quite some time.

"Not the healthiest chips, are they?" the Doctor murmured quietly, more to himself than anyone.

His heightened senses picked up far more uninteresting details swimming somewhere in the forefront of his mind, but nothing of any importance to him. A café wasn't just a café to the Doctor; it was a machine and his brain was constantly working to understand each functioning part of it at a glance, down to the last few granules of salt sprinkled onto the chips. This was only natural for him, a Time Lord.

Rose stared at him. That was another thing that she loved about the Doctor, she realized. That look in his eyes whenever he was deep in thought; calculating and analyzing everything that he saw and heard. She could almost hear his brain whirring like gears, taking in every single detail no matter how minute. The Doctor himself was something of a mystery to her still even though they had been traveling for a little over two years now. Smiling, Rose rested her chin casually in her palm and waited for him to sit down.

The Doctor soon pulled out his own chair and settled in, sitting across from her. "Now, what I wanted to talk to you about..."

Before he could finish, a waitress arrived, eyes rimmed with exhaustion. The time traveler noted that she was wearing a pair of blue trainers. Having a great appreciation for that type of footwear, a manic looked of surprise and joy covered the Doctor's face. This seemed to startle the waitress.

"Nice shoes!" the Doctor exclaimed enthusiastically, a broad grin spreading from ear to ear. He was about to comment on them further when he realized she was fidgeting uncomfortably. Looking back up, he suddenly seemed to remember why she was there.

"Oh, yes. Ah, we'd just like some chips, but without the extra salt in the batch. Two cups of tea, too, please." He paused and just as she began to turn away, he called out again.

"Oh! And I would suggest that you use some fresh oil, yeah?"

The perplexed server glanced at Rose who smiled in affirmation. The waitress nodded and scratched down the order, leaving Rose and the Doctor alone at their table once again.

"As I was saying," the Doctor continued, hoping there wouldn't be any more distractions. "I wanted to ask you about something, Rose..." He leaned forward and made eye contact as if what he were about to say was very important. "Do you think you would want to visit America? America in the now, of course. Just a little vacation, just the two of us. You and me."

While he knew that she would never admit it, the Doctor could tell that some of their adventures had caused Rose a bit of stress and he believed that she might want some time to relax. He had been meaning to discuss a trip of this kind with her for a while, but it was difficult to plan for a nice holiday with twenty species of hostile aliens at their tails.

The blonde's brows shot up. "A vacation? To _America_?" she echoed, surprised. "Like a real vacation? No aliens or robots or talking cats or anything? Just a normal vacation...?" Rose's trademark smile broadened, her tongue just barely peeking out between her teeth.

The Doctor crinkled his nose and looked to the side as if appraising the likelihood of this happening. "Well, I can't guarantee it, but..." The Time Lord's eyes returned to hers and a small smirk emerged. "It's not in the plan, no. So, what do you think? New York? Los Angeles? Both are great for shopping centers. Everyone likes a little shop, yeah? Your mum would be jealous of you, you know." He wagged his finger at her. Two cups of tea were set in front of them and he took a drink.

Rose put the cup to her lips and sipped it tentatively. It was steaming hot. "Oh if she only knew," she chuckled as she set her cup back down to cool. Her brown eyes sparkled excitedly. "I don't know, they all sound wonderful! Hm, I think I'd like to see what New York is like...you know, compared to New New York."

The Doctor chuckled, pleased to see that Rose was excited about the idea. "It's hard to believe that after traversing through multiple time periods and exploring new galaxies that you are so happy about going to America in the present." He took a few sips of his tea, his eyes on her. He set the cup down and suddenly changed the subject; feeling rather talkative. "So, how's it feel, being able to say hello to your mum and Mickey? We haven't been back in ages."

Rose's face fell and her eyes shot back down to her steaming cup of tea. "Oh, well, it'll be nice to see mum, but..." her voice trailed and she bit her lower lip anxiously, "...me an' Mickey haven't been doing so well."

"No?" The Doctor frowned. He was surprised to hear that they weren't getting on. Mickey had been doing just fine with her so far as he knew. "What's edging him?"

She fingered the rim of her teacup and paused to search for the right words. "I don't know," Rose sighed heavily, "something about me never having time for him anymore."

Deep down she knew that she hadn't been treating Mickey like she should. It was unfair to him, her coming and going as long as she pleased without much notice, if any notice at all. Rose tried to justify it by telling herself that she couldn't help it, that the lure for adventure was just absolutely too great, but all the same she knew that if she had really wanted to, the Doctor would have let her stay home, stay with Mickey.

"But you know, Mickey," Rose continued, forcing a smile and an uncomfortable laugh, "he's always been like that." It was a poor excuse, a terribly poor excuse, but she wasn't sure what else to say. Rose's smile wavered ever so slightly and she looked up at the Doctor and searched his face hopefully for some sort of understanding.

He considered what she had told him. "I can't blame him," he admitted. "I'd be upset if my girlfriend wandered off for so long. But it's nothing you can't fix, is it?" he asked, returning her smile. As intelligent as the Doctor was, he did have his downfalls, one of which was properly processing the feelings of others, particularly humans. If Rose looked okay, and there wasn't anything physiologically wrong with her, it was difficult for him to catch on. It wasn't that he didn't care, in fact, he cared quite a lot - he just didn't always pay enough attention.

A little stung by his reply, Rose looked away, guilt stabbing at her stomach as sharp as any knife. _I suppose I shouldn't have expected him to understand,_ she thought.

"Yeah, I guess not," she agreed, disappointment evident in her voice. "It's just that he hardly spoke to me the last time we came home and..." The edges of Rose's lips tightened and a look of regret flashed through her face. "...Mickey says that he's got a new girlfriend now."

The Time Lord's face softened and he suddenly looked sympathetic. "I'm so sorry, Rose," he murmured. He set one of his hands atop hers in an attempt to comfort her. "It's alright. Our trip to America is supposed to fix everything isn't it?" He wasn't smiling, but his tone was more cheerful as he said this. When she didn't say anything, he slowly withdrew from her and took another sip of tea. Rose's bad situation with Mickey felt as though it were his fault. It_ was_ his fault, wasn't it? Scooping someone up out of their normal life and spiriting them away to other planets and even other time periods, it had to wear on a relationship.

"It's perfectly okay," Rose replied, again forcing herself to sound happy. "Besides, there's no point in worrying about something you can't change. I'm sorry for bringing it up, Doctor." She picked up her cup and took a small drink since it had cooled down. "I shouldn't have said anything."

_I won't leave her like he did_, the Doctor thought,_ but when it is time for her to stay and not travel with me any more...I don't know how she'll take it. _

He knew that her traveling days of adventure wouldn't last forever. It couldn't. No matter how much he wished it would change, he knew that Rose would end up like all of his other companions. She would find someone else or perhaps all of the danger that ruled his life would be far too much for her and she'd decide to stay in the safety of her home. The Doctor knew that Rose's mother, at least, would like that.

He swallowed and his eyes drifted down to the cup in his hand. He had bravely faced Daleks and Cybermen, he had saved many planets and had done the impossible, but he had also left a trail of destruction and despair in his wake. Sarah Jane, Ace, Tegan...even Susan, his granddaughter had been pulled into that trail and he had left some of them worse off than others. Rose Tyler would be no different and as much as it pained him, he could do even less to change that than she could with her Mickey problems. One troubling thought led to another, filling the Doctor's mind with things he didn't want to think about. Blinking and struggling to push them back into the recesses of his mind, he tried to fix his attention back on the moment at hand.

"There's a point to everything," he reminded her solemnly, "but yes, I do think we should speak about it." The traveler paused for a moment, re-thinking what he had said. Maybe on second thought it was better not to talk about it right then. They had happier matters to think about.

Abruptly changing the subject yet again as if nothing else had been said, the Doctor piped, "New York it is, then! I've heard that their technology is brilliant, simply brilliant. Completely different from English design. Did you have a reason for picking it?"

Rose's fake smile quickly turned into a genuine, somewhat embarrassed, grin. "Not really. I've always sort of wanted to go to a Broadway show." It widened and she flung her head back in a dramatic flair. "You know, lights and gorgeous actors and all that."

The Doctor laughed as she tossed her head back teasingly. "That's a rather interesting reason. Strange, if I may be a bit rude." He raised his eyebrows inquisitively and grinned.

The waitress returned, setting in front of them a large plate of chips. The Doctor was pleased to notice that they were exactly how he had requested. He immediately began eating, having a notoriously ravenous appetite.

"I didn't know you liked plays," he said between eating as many chips as were possible while remaining on the verge of proper human dinner etiquette. "Do you think they've really come far? The last one I saw was in the late sixteenth century, and it was dreadful."

Rose picked up a chip and popped it into her mouth, savoring the salty taste. "Mm," she shrugged, desperately trying to compress an eruption of giggles as she watched him eat. Somehow she expected a "Lord" to be a little more dignified when eating. "I would hope so. I think it would be fun anyway. But we had better be careful talking about Broadway and New York - Mum would prob'ly want to go!"

"Oh? And you don't want your mother coming?"

"_You_ wouldn't mind her coming with us?"

The Doctor considered this and leaned back in his chair. "No, you're right. We'd better keep quiet around your mum, at least about Broadway."

As if on cue, the little bell on the café's door jingled and in hurried none other than Jackie Tyler. Rose nearly choked on her tea in alarm as her mother rushed in. "M-Mum!"

"Mrs. Tyler! It's you!" The Doctor rose from his seat and opened his arms to give her a warm hug. "I can't believe it. It's been so long since we've last seen you. How are you?" He looked over at Rose, who seemed rather shocked at all of this, and gave her a small wink that suggested that her mother would always find them.

Jackie completely ignored the Doctor's warm gesture and immediately moved towards Rose, wrapping her arms around her daughter. "Oh, sweetheart, you're back! It feels like ages! Where have you been? Have you been sleeping well? You look exhausted."

"I'm fine, mum."

"Have you been eatin' well?" Her eyes widened as she pulled back away from Rose, still holding on to her shoulders. "He hasn't jus' been feedin' you fish an' chips, then, has he?" Jackie Tyler turned around to face the Doctor. "I hope you 'ave been takin' good care of her. You don't know how to take care of children like I do!"

"'Children'?" Rose's eyebrow shot up in a twinge of irritation.

"No, no," the Doctor replied, clapping his hands together. "This is just a brief stop. You know how it's our usual place, but soon we're off again. In fact, we're going off to America after she catches up with you a bit. Great, isn't it?"

The Doctor did feel somewhat responsible for her mother's initial weariness of him, even though he really thought himself to be a quite likeable person. Whisking away someone's daughter wasn't the most excellent way to make a first impression.

Mrs. Tyler looked a bit disappointed and at the same time a bit impressed. "Oh, a holiday to America? Well, I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised, but...do you really have to leave again so soon? Why don't you two come on over to the house for a bit an' I'll make you a good home-cooked meal, eh? A nice hot bowl of soup? Soup and a sandwich? Wouldn't that be nice? You can both spend at least a few days at home. Have a nice, warm place to sleep. Ah, Doctor, of course, you'll have to sleep in the sitting room..." Jackie looked pointedly at the time traveler. "How's that sound, then? Just for the rest of the week?"

The Doctor smiled nervously, looking from Rose to Mrs. Tyler. "Um, yes," he answered, "we could stay for a while, I suppose, but not for too long." As selfish as it was, he would have liked to spend a few days alone with Rose before another crisis surfaced. It was inevitable, after all. Now that they had everything sorted, this was their chance. "Our trip will only be a couple of days or so, and we'd return as soon as we could."

Jackie frowned, it was obvious that she wasn't entirely pleased. "Oh, alright, then. I guess it can't hurt if you stay over _after_ your little holiday, but you had better promise me that you'll come back," she stated firmly. "And you kids be safe! You know what Americans are like," Mrs. Tyler lowered her voice a bit, "all of them are a bit touched in the head. And their driving! Oh I've heard such stories..."

The Doctor found it rather humorous that a woman of Mrs. Tyler's age was referring to him as a kid, but he supposed that one could forget how old he was. That, or Rose had failed to mention exactly what age the man she was traveling with actually was. He held in a laugh of amusement.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Tyler," he said apologetically, "I'll keep Rose safe, as always. I swear it. We will be back, you know. You can have Rose to yourself when that happens." He gave her a sympathetic touch on the shoulder before giving her a complete embrace.

This time Jackie accepted the Doctor's hug and sighed. "I know you will," she murmured in spite of her worry. "I just miss her is all."

Rose smiled at her mother and the Doctor. It was surprising how far the two had come in terms of trusting one another. "Oh we miss you too, Mum," she whispered, putting her arms around the both of them.

The three stayed like that for a moment until finally the Doctor pulled away. Jackie heaved a long sigh and nodded. "Look at me, you'd think that you two were never coming back," she chuckled. "Now, off you go, then, before I start to cry. And don't you two worry about the bill, I'll pay for everything."

"Oh, no, I can't let you do that," the Doctor insisted, raising his hands in the air. He reached his hand into the pocket of his overcoat and took out some money, setting it on the table. He ate another chip before sliding his hands into his pockets again.

"Off we are, indeed. So good to see you again, Mrs. Tyler," the Time Lord nodded briskly to her then glanced at his companion. "Let's go, Rose." Not one for goodbyes, the Doctor tore off, heading for the door. After so many years of struggle, a vacation was almost a necessity.

Rose smiled and gave her mother one last hug and a brief kiss. "Goodbye, Mum," she said, "we'll be back soon."

Turning on her heels and waving, Rose headed out. Jackie followed after her daughter and leaned out the door, calling after her as she ran off: "Be sure to call me if anything happens! An' don't talk to strangers!"

Her mother's voice slowly faded out into the back of her mind as Rose ran, a surge of adrenaline rushing through her body. Rose loved this feeling of excitement and curiosity. She loved running after the Doctor, never knowing just what fantastic adventure they'd find themselves in next. _I think I could stay like this forever._

The Doctor stopped for a moment so that Rose could catch up with him. "It's still a lovely day here in England," he told her. "I'll program the TARDIS so that we're off to tomorrow in America, just so that it's not night time. You wouldn't mind being a day ahead?"

Rose giggled and took his hand as she reached him. The TARDIS was just around the corner. "Of course not," she laughed, briefly leaning her head against his shoulder. The Doctor nodded and grinned that fantastic grin of his and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"What are we waiting for then, hm?"

It was still a bit strange, he thought as they began to run again, holding her hand, but he didn't mind. The Time Lord had grown quite fond of Rose during their travels, somewhat weary of becoming attached to humans though he may have been. There was just something about her that separated her from the rest of his companions. Something that he knew that no one could ever replace should she leave.

He stopped in front of the TARDIS, letting go of her hand to open it. He stepped inside and strode towards the command center. The Doctor immediately began operating.

"Well, come on, then! There's a vacation to be had!"


End file.
